If you would like to see a museum that combines true civic and aesthetic brilliance, run to the new Pérez Art Museum Miami. Under the leadership of director Thom Collins, the architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron has built a magnificent green building that has a touch of Louis Kahn and
will undoubtedly become a destination. In the process they have transformed not only a derelict piece of land on the harbor, but Miami itself. The genius of the building is in the setting, the transparency of the volumes, and the use of inside and outside space.

Inside, the galleries are flooded with light from the enormous windows, and there are water views from most of them. The wrap-around outside deck is furnished with wood Adirondack chairs, a deep overhang, outdoor seating for the restaurant, and hanging gardens that provide natural shade and cooling. According to the architects, they figured out exactly the right height to make the building for maximum breeze for what, according to Patricia Cronin, will undoubtedly become “Miami’s front porch.” A model for integrating civic responsibility, aesthetics and community, it is simply the most beautiful and responsible new museum in the country.